Mission to Mewtwo
by rtqno
Summary: Koga is sent on a mission to confront Mewtwo after being appointed to the Elite Four. He chooses the enigmatic Sabrina as his companion. Where could this lead? Written as a series of diary entries by the heroes.
1. Default Chapter

From Sabrina's Journal

14 June 2001

I suppose I'll just have to do an entry. I can't get back to sleep after being awakened by a dream. And [I]what[/I] a dream. I awoke in a cold sweat, twisted in the sheets. I never sleep well away from the gym in Saffron. Why did I ever let father talk me into coming here? Oh yes, I was supposed to, "get out of my shell," become better known to other gym leaders and to the members of the Elite Four. "Networking" is what he called it. Bah! They have this special do to send off Agatha into emeritus status. All these boring, eccentric recluses gathered together under one roof up here on this desolate plateau. At least I'm, not the youngest one here, that would be Daisy Waterflower from Cerulean City, what an iconsequential fluffhead.

I wasted my time coming here. They gave Agatha's position on the Four to that egotistical fake Will. All the others offered condolences and said stuff like, "the squeky wheel gets the grease," and "you would have been selected if you were better known." The only one that really seemed sincere was that overly serious and spectral Mr. Koga. He had the audacity to look into my eyes giving me the right to peer into his thoughts. It's no pleasure knowing what others think. Most of it is trivial, some is insulting, and a some thoughts are simply shocking. Most of the time people are only thinking of themselves. This Koga fellow was thinking about my eyes, my hair, and how I carried myself. So I called him on it. He coloured ever so slightly and said, "Please forgive the loss of discipline." If I was prone to flattery I suppose I would have been pleased, but that sort of frivolousness is beneath me. However he [I]did[/I] seem genuinely disappointed for me, and since we hardly know each other, I was a bit charmed.

This dream that has me scribbling these notes semed to be prophetic (as most of my dreams are). Oddly enough it involved this Koga fellow too. He was with me in some sort of darkened room. My Alakazam was grievously injured and I had tears on my face. This was odd, I [I]never[/I] allow myself to cry. This dark, bearded man took my hand and said something about having full restore in his pack if we could reach it. I turned and it was Koga. He seemed very concerned about me, and said I had to pull myself together. Then a mind numbing burst of psychic energy struck us, a Psychic attack from a very strong and high level psy Pokémon. I managed to withstand it, although my mind was enflamed, but the man fainted. I screamed his name, and cradled his head in my hands, and that's when I awoke.

Who is this new Elite Four member? And what could this dream mean? It seemed as though I had some sort of attachment to him in the dream, but I haven't the faintest idea how that would come about. It would be a strange thing indeed to have an attachment to someone other than my parents. I've always been apart, strange, and frightening to those with weaker minds and no awareness of what lies beyond. How could a "normal" man ilke Koga and I ever keep company, let alone grow to respect each other? Funny thing is, there is some small part of me that wants to try. There doesn't seem to be much point to living, even with my heightened awareness and my power over matter. There's some level of thought I haven't reached yet, in spite of all of my training. But how can one reach it? I wish I knew. I guess I'll lie down again, or maybe just wander the halls like Lady MacBeth. It's hard to sleep just now.


	2. Koga's Impressions

[Image]

From Koga's Journal

14 June 2001

I still don't know why I come to these meetings, everyone here is competitive, egotistical and misanthropic. That's what comes from years of training and keeping company with naught but Pokémon. Of course, Pokémon are frequently far more admirable than many humans, but we master trainers take this regard too far I fear. I have been offered, and foolishly taken on, more responsibility and work at the behest of the Pokémon League. They have made me an Elite Four member along with Will and Karen. Lance has been reassigned to "Grand Champion" and Bruno was retained. Lorelei wanted to retire to Mandarin Island to meditate and study Articuno in its natural habitat. Agatha quite simply had reached mandatory retirement, she'll probably return as a ghost to haunt us for this. So I see my future too clearly, too much time away from Fuchsia Gym, constant battles with eager challengers. I will have to convey administration of the gym to Aya, and perhaps Janine can join her as soon as her semester ends at Pokémon Tech. To tell the truth I envy Lorelei her chance to go off and do as she pleases.

The day did have some compensations. I learned a great deal more about my fellow master trainers. I am still trying to fathom

Giovanni's agenda as a gym leader, he's very wealthy and skillful, if ruthless. We had been certain his desire for power and influence would make an Elite Four appointment irresistible. He surprised me and the others by turning down a slot, promoting Karen's candidacy instead.

I also got a chance to chat with my favourite for Agatha's position, the Saffron gym leader Sabrina Natsume. She's a recluse, but she is also a very serious trainer with a great deal of skill in her innate specialty of psy Pokémon. It was a surprise to see her away from her gym, she rarely leaves it (her material self at least). I first met her two years ago on an inspection and courtesy visit to her gym. At that time I found her manipulative, haughty, evasive, and petulantly immature. The intervening time has seen much improvement in her. She is still distant and emotionless, but I'm sure I also detected a more mature and flexible attitude. She has also blossomed into a most attractive woman with luminous and wistful eyes of deep violet and the bearing of royalty. I was so fascinated by her hypnotic gaze when I offered condolences for her loss to Will she looked straight into my thoughts. She said, "Oho ninja, you are not sorry for the trainer but for the woman are you not? Why do you think of my looks rather than my skill?" I apologized, and admitted that the trainer did indeed excite my admiration, but a man is often overwhelmed by his weaknesses.

I have a meeting tomorrow. The League has another mission they want me to help them with. I am strongly considering asking this Sabrina to help me after I receive the assignment. I believe the League will approve my request, although I am less sure of the response of this tightly wound psychic from Saffron.


	3. An Invitation

An Invitation

An Invitation

16 June 2001

Phone transcript from the Saffron City Pokémon Gym:

Ring, ring, ring! Phone call! Ring, ring, ring! Phone call!

Connection established:

Sabrina: "Hello? Saffron City Pokémon Gym. Leader's Private Line, this is Sabrina Natsume."

Koga: "Ms. Natsume? This is Koga Kunoichi of the Fuschia City Gym and the Elite Four. I spoke to you recently at the last Pokémon League Meeting." [Visi-screen is turned on]

Sabrina:"I remember you. What do you want?"

Koga: "You believe in getting to the point, don't you? An admirable trait."

Sabrina: "I already know why you are calling. But what has this artificial cloned Pokémon of Team Rocket's have to do with me?"

Koga: "Giovanni provided intelligence for the League from his spies in Team Rocket. This clone was designed to be the most powerful psy Pokémon in existence. Perhaps the most powerful Pokémon yet known."

Sabrina: "And it was produced from the genome of Mew, the phantom South American Pokémon. I've made a study of the scraps of legend about this creature. It is thought to be extinct or so rare and wary no one can find it. Lore suggests it was very intelligent, perhaps capable of learning [i]any[/i] Pokémon technique."

Koga: "This display of expertise is precisely why I would be honoured to have your aid on my mission. Because this "Mewtwo" is a psy Pokémon you would be an ideal companion on this job. My abilities include stealth, poison, paralysis and sleep but I need someone who knows psychic Pokémon and who can command powerful psychics of their own. Also, although I can spot physical traps, I can't detect mental ones. Your heightened awareness would be invaluable to my effort."

Sabrina: "I'm flattered especially since I can sense you are absolutely sincere. But why not someone else? Say Will or Agatha? Is it because I am expendable, or because you are personally fascinated with me?"

Koga: "That I find you exotically beautiful is beside the point. I've met many attractive women of all ages. I am not immune to appreciating beauty when I see it, but your beauty won't advance my mission. I chose you because you are a great talent, and underrated by even perceptive trainers like Giovanni. Success in this mission will raise your stock in the Pokémon League inner circle. You [i]are[/i] ambitious?"

Sabrina: "Yes."

Koga: "I thought so."

Sabrina: "My ambition need not compell me to aid those who do not understand me and who have abandoned me to my isolation."

Koga: [sighs] "I am sorry to hear that. This Pokémon is very powerful and destructive. It seems to desire vengeance against all humans for Team Rocket's subjugation of it. Not even your gym is safe if it chooses to use its vast powers to attack the human race. Your alienation from the rest of us doesn't protect you from this Mewtwo's wrath."

Sabrina: "I never said I would turn you down ninja. I only wished to make it clear that I do what I do for my reasons alone. I am curious about this mighty psy Pokémon and about...other things. I accept your invitation, this mission is a challenge worthy of my talents."

Koga: [Bows deeply] "I thank you for your acceptance. I will arrive in Saffron City from Fuschia by late afternoon. And..."

Sabrina: "We will travel on to the wild mountains between Pewter City, Mt. Moon and Cerulean City whre this creature appears to live. I will be ready when you arrive. I shall bring my Alakazam, Jynx, Venomoth, Slowking, Ninetails, and Mr. Mime. I have already written down the other items you thought of. You have remarkably uncluttered thoughts ninja."

Koga: "Thank you again Ms. Natsume...Sabrina. I am certain I have chosen the best possible partner for this mission."

Sabrina: "Of course, I will be ready."

Connection closed.

Journal Entry:

My dream of two nights ago is becoming reality very quickly. I received a phone call from Koga Kunoichi this morning that prefigures the conditions of the dream all too well. I have spent the rest of the day packing for the trip, and preparing mentally. I just reviewed the phone recording to be certain of what Mr. Kunoichi...Koga actually said. I spend so much time picking up information on several psychic levels when I talk to someone I can't be certain about what words were actually said. So I review my recorded calls. Koga has chosen me to join him on a mission to find and capture a Pokémon created by team Rocket named Mewtwo. Given my dream, perhaps I would have been wise to turn him down. However, I am wary of avoiding prophetic visions, it is like spitting into a strong headwind. Besides, my vision was not without its intriguing elements. My visceral concern for Koga, and his for me, in the dream speaks of a working relationship between us unlike any I have ever had. I dearly wish to see what that might be like. There was no indication in my dream that the dire situation I foresaw would not resolve itself in our favour, so I decided to face the challenge presented by the dream. I am actually as close to excited as I ever get about something. My heart is beating faster than usual, my face feels warm, and I feel happy for no easily specified reason. I've been thinking about my dream and Koga almost constantly for the last two days. At least I can dispense with all the obsessive thinking and [i]do[/i] something. I know this encounter with Mewtwo will benefit me more than it will cost me. It's almost time. I hope I'm ready.


	4. En Route

En Route

En Route

16 June 2001

Here I am, fairly comfortably ensconced in my aisle seat on the train to the suburbs of Viridian City. Sabrina and I will rent an SUV and head off into the mountains from there. Speaking of Sabrina, she is sleeping in the seat next to mine. She is so willowy and slight I want to throw my cloak over her, she seems to need protection. I know better, but all I see now is a very slender, young and pallid girl. Not the formidably intimidating woman with the penetrating gaze and mind to match when she is awake. As it is she is probably like an Abra, equally potent asleep or awake. I was amazed at Sabrina's demeanour upon my arrival at her gym in Saffron City. She actually seemed animated and happy, there was a trace of a smile and a touch of colour in her face as she pressed her hand in mine.

"I look forward to this partnership," she said, "I expect we will learn a great deal about, er...[i]from[/i] each other during this time."

I don't recall exactly how I responded to this greeting. I suppose I mumbled something terse, but polite. I must admit to being preoccupied with trying to prepare for Mewtwo, something for which one cannot truly be prepared. I've been pondering Sabrina's greeting since it came back to me. What indeed [i]do[/i] I know about her? I know her tendencies as a trainer and some of her intensely psychological strategems to unnerve her opponents. I talk to every challenger for the Soul Badge about the techniques of other gym leaders. They all speak in awe and dread of their encounters with "That Natsume woman",as they often call her. But, does Sabrina have a social life? I'd wager not. She must be very lonely, although I'm sure, like many with a rich inner mental life, she may compensate for it or ignore it. In spite of regular contact with my sister and daughter, I too have become lonely. One doesn't make friends with eager challengers very often, especially if you humiliate them by wearing their precious Pokémon down with status effects. It's been awhile since I have been in love with a woman. I hope these thoughts don't affect my performance on this mission. If Mewtwo is as terrifyingly powerful as reports suggest, I cannot afford distractions.


	5. Motel Interlude

Ready to Go

Ready to Go

16 June 2001

I am lodged in a modest little motel in the village of Hooker's Green northeast of Viridian City. The motel clerk joked about the town's name, but I failed to see the humour in it. Koga himself is not the most communicative nor overly gentlemanly company, but he did obtain this room for me. Of course, he's cheap to boot, he's out in the parking lot sleeping in the Cherokee we rented at the rail station.

He gently tapped me on the shoulder when we arrived at Viridian City, rousing me from a disturbing dream. In the dream I was arguing with a spiteful and unhappy dark-haired girl about five years younger than myself. She was accusing me of "brainwashing" her father and that I had no right to see him just now. I recall feeling a keen sense of loss at her stinging words. I turned away from her and walked out of the room. I had to wipe my eyes with my sleeve after I left the room for lack of a tissue, because she had made me cry. That's when I felt the strong hand on my shoulder and I awoke with a start.

Koga said, "If you handle the rental, I'll go pick up some supplies at an outfitter near the station. I suspect you will handle the bargaining over the vehicle better than I with your special talents."

With that he was off. It was the longest bit of conversation we had for the rest of the afternoon. For all of my access to the thoughts and motivations of others I am not comfortable abroad among other people. Commercial transactions make me nervous, but I couldn't tell Koga that, so I struggled through making the rental arrangements. The rental clerk tried to trick me, but I saw through it easily. I suppose that is why Koga asked me to do the job, but it was a disappointment to see human greed in action again. I'd rather avoid it.

Sometimes I crave the outgoing aggressive personality I saw in the other customer at the rental counter. She was about my age with flaming red hair, green earrings, and piercing blue eyes. She was mercilessly chewing out the other desk clerk about her own rental. She claimed some sort of connection with the Viridian City Pokémon gym and used that information to threaten and wheedle the poor clerk. She made such a scene I was tempted to pry into her thoughts, but I thought better of it; I was having an unpleasant enough time with my own clerk. When she caught me staring at her she glared at me briefly, coloured and became quieter.

Why am I here? Koga and my dreams fascinated me, but he's a shy, taciturn, and stony companion. I'd tresspass on his mind, but I feel that would be rude at best, self-serving and underhanded at worst. I know from the Indigo Plateau meeting that he finds me attractive, then why does he treat me like, well...a colleague or even some fine tool from the hardware store? He's not exactly "Mr. Warmth and Congenialty". Maybe I'm asking too much, or reading too much into my dreams. Besides, I suppose I'm not the most charming and sweet companion myself. Well, I'm too deeply involved in this mission to back out now, my word is my bond.


	6. On the Road Again

On the Road Again Ò Koga's journal

On the Road Again — Koga's journal

17 June 2001

Travel, especially over rough roads, is tiring enough but today has been emotionally draining as well. Sabrina has been taking my pensive silence for coldness and uncaring self-absorption. And I thought this expedition had begun so well. The narrow unimproved road grew rockier and grassier as we went along, making the driving slow and difficult. I had to get out and scout fords and rutted rock filled stretches several times. At about mid-morning I caught a glimpse of the bright flash of a reflection on the rim-rock and got my own binoculars up in time to see a blue-haired trainer with a Meowth keeping an eye on us. With this unsettling discovery I chose to have lunch in a thick grove of large cottonwood in a narrow spot along the mountain gorge. The trees provided us with cover from prying eyes.

As soon as I had the sputtering camp stove going and was boiling the water for our rice Sabrina said, "You know ninja I don't appreciate being taken for granted. You spared more words on that stove as you coaxed it to life than you have on me for two whole days."

"What would you have me say?"

She flared and a small rock flew off the ground and sang past my ear, "I don't need to read your mind to know you just called me 'ingrate'!"

I closed my eyes and did a slow count to five, reopened them and said, "Sabrina, I apologize for my silence. I have been preparing myself for what lies ahead, and I thought you were similarly occupied. I am guilty of assuming you were reading my mind and keeping to yourself because you prefer your own counsel."

A branch cracked on a nearby tree and it spun free through the air, I snatched it out of the air, "I would never be as rude and presuming as you!" she spat.

"Why not speak to me yourself?" I offered defensively.

She coloured and the emotional storm on her face cleared leaving a look of confusion and sadness, "Oh, I'm sorry I..I.."

"Thought it was my duty as host to entertain my guest. This is not a pleasure trip Sabrina. However, I am sorry you felt left out. I did not ask you on this mission because of your youth, your expendability, nor because I admire your face and eyes, although I am not blind. I wanted a dependable, strong, intelligent companion, preferably a specialist in psychic Pokémon to help me accomplish my goal of investigating, perhaps capturing, Mewtwo."

She continued to look wistfully at me, "Well, my reasons for accepting your invitation are more complex. I had a prophetic dream about you, and...and I needed to...to break my isolation."

"I won't ask about your dream," I replied, "Rest assured you are appreciated and valued as a companion, not merely as a tool. I easily could have chosen someone else, but none had your special talents. Other trainers may have a deep mental bond with Pokémon, but none have your psychic powers and skill with psy Pokémon. Will does not compare well with you in spite of his seniority, Agatha is now too infirm to make such a rigourous journey, and I could not ask Lorellei..."

"Even though you love her," Sabrina said quietly, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it."

I coloured, "It doesn't matter, she lost interest in me years ago. All we share now is..."

"A daughter," she said slowly, "I've had a vision of this girl before."

"Now that you have stolen some of my most carefully hidden secrets, what else would you have from me?"

"Sorry, your thoughts were too strong and clear in this mountain silence. I could not ignore them. I'm done 'stealing' from you, I want to give you something instead," she said.

"What is that?"

"My loyalty and all the help I can offer to make this mission a success," with this she smiled wanly and her eyes were deep and warm.

We discussed matters more openly for the rest of the afternoon. She is a serious woman, but she has a wry and charmingly skeptical view of the world from her privileged perspective. She even laughed a few times, it sounds like water running in a mountain brook. I suppose I am glad she confronted me, I had been taking her for granted after all.


	7. Each Other's Teachers

We are each other's teachers - Sabrina's turn

We are each other's teachers - Sabrina's turn

18 June 2001

I have a little time before dinner to jot down some notes about our journey. I lost my temper over Koga's silence yesterday. It wasn't pretty. I misused telekinesis to punctuate my tantrum. It reminded me of my teenaged psychotic episode when I used my mom and defeated trainers as my personal playthings. So many had run away from me in fear I felt [i]had[/i]to do something to have friends. At least my anger got Koga talking to me. Koga now knows I haven't been peeking into his mind and I feel much more like his partner.

I also discovered that he is a far more passionate and sympathetic man than I had imagined at first. After dinner last night as the fire died down we had some time to talk about his complicated past. During our brief argument I inadvertently learned that he had a long-term off-and-on romance with the Elite Four ice mistress Lorelei Kanna that produced their daughter Janine. I realized the girl in my dream was Janine, I fear I'm in for some heartache if I meet her.

It seems he met Lorelei over 25 years ago outside Cerulean City when they were15-year-old trainers. They fought each other to a near draw, she won, but she was down to one Pokémon in poor health. She stared at him ruefully, then she started to laugh. Soon they were both laughing, when she caught her breath she smiled at him and asked him to accompany her to the Pokémon Centre. They were inseparable companions for the next four years. They consummated their friendship in romance when they parted ways, she to teach at Pokémon Tech, and he to apprentice with his father at Fuchsia Gym. They kept in touch, occasionally stealing a night together for the next ten years, one of those nights resulted in Lorelei's pregnancy. Lorelei grew more distant as her knowledge and responsibilities grew, at some point she and Koga simply ceased to communicate except about the growing Janine. I felt sorry for Koga, although I could say nothing for fear of wounding his dignity. He clearly still admires and cares about Lorelei.

I [i]was[/i]forward enough to ask him what it was about Lorelei that attracted him to her. I was charmed by his forthright and unreserved reply, I had been almost certain his taciturn nature would prevent him from discussing it with an impertinent girl such as me. What he noticed first was the eyes, deep, wise, warm and calm. She was pretty enough, but it was the way that first rueful stare evolved into delighted laughter in those incomparable eyes that obsessed him. I had to blush when he said my eyes were very like hers. He remained with her because she was brilliantly intelligent and dedicated to her Pokémon.

"Early on I traded a Shellder for a Venonat with her. I still use the Venomoth that grew from that Venonat, and she still uses her Cloyster. I learned a great deal from Lorelei," Koga said reflectively.

"I hope I can learn as much from you," I said.

"I doubt there is anything I can teach you," he replied.

"Everyone can learn something from another. We're all each other's teachers," I responded.

We had a bit of adventure this afternoon. A boulder smashed into the roadway from the cliffs above, not far ahead of us. Koga stopped the jeep and jumped out, scanning the ledges above. "That was no accident," he grumbled.

"How do you know that?"

"The way the rock fell, and the location of the fresh scar on the cliff."

"Let me cast a psychic net, perhaps I can find out something about our assailants," I offered.

"Be my guest."

I projected my mind to where Koga indicated the boulder had fallen from and detected a confused gabble of thoughts from three beings hurriedly moving to the top of the ledge. I judged them to be a woman, a man, and something that wasn't human but thought in our language regardless. Their escape route was the air, their thoughts faded away as they gained altitude. What I could sort out of their thoughts indicated that they meant to harass, not harm, us. Indeed their thoughts were more those of mischievous pranksters than cold-blooded criminals. I told all this to Koga and his eyes narrowed.

"This reminds of someone I met a few years ago, I'm almost certain," he growled.

"Who?"

"There's a band of white squad Rockets that would fit your description, the non-human with human language would be a Meowth that travels with them. I saw a trainer with a Meowth spying on us from above yesterday morning."

"What do they want with us?" I wondered.

"Mewtwo was a Team Rocket project, maybe the Team wants it back."

Ah, dinner is ready, and I've written a far longer entry than I expected. Time to sign off, the food smells wonderful.


	8. A Desperate Situation

A Tight Spot - Koga Reflects

A Tight Spot - Koga Reflects

20 June 2001

I don't truly know what day it is, but I'm reasonably sure that no more than a day has elapsed. Perhaps it makes no sense to write now, but it will serve as a record of what has happened and perhaps by writing this I will get an idea about how to escape this predicament.

Sabrina and I ran out of driveable road at the end of the eighteenth. We had dinner and discussed Team Rocket, our pasts, and Pokémon till long after the fire had died down to embers. After our initial period of awkward silence, these conversations have been a real pleasure. I feel remarkably at ease with Sabrina in spite of her reputation as "The Sorceress of Saffron" and I have shared some parts of my past I never discussed with anyone other than Lorelei. For some reason Sabrina seems to enjoy my gruff company. It was necessary to discuss Team Rocket and the lore of Mewtwo at some length because we discovered we were being watched and harassed by a white Rocket trio. This made it clear that Team Rocket still has a proprietary interest in Mewtwo.

In the morning we broke camp after breakfast and headed up the rocky trail to the headwaters of the Viridian River. The great limestone cave where the Viridian arises was the rumoured lair of Mewtwo. I now know this for a fact, because I am held captive within the cavern. The going was difficult, but we made good time. I had to give the inexperienced urbanite Sabrina some extra help around some of the larger boulders along the trail. Fortunately it was not a hot day as we made our way up the rough narrow trail with the wind sighing in the scattered trees and singing in the stones. At about noon we came in sight of the great cave mouth whence arises the Viridian. We had barely caught our breath when an imperious, strident woman's voice rose above the wind, "Prepare for trouble!" it echoed off the mountains.

A smoother and more cynical male voice added, "And make it double!" We looked up to see our, heretofore invisible, antagonists. They were posed back-to-back with their arms folded and heads bowed slightly as they continued their motto, "To protect the world from devastation!" said the red-haired woman with the short white skirt, bare waist, long grey gloves, and tall grey boots. The blue-haired man with the cutoff white jacket, grey gloves, white pants, and grey boots said, "To unite all people in our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" the redhead continued with a malevolent twinkle in her blue eyes. "To extend our reach to the stars above!" the man proclaimed swiping at a loose strand of his long hair hanging in his eyes. "Jessie!" "James!" they proudly spat out their names. "Team Rocket blast off the speed of light!" trumpted Jessie. "Surrender now or prepare to fight!" James stated with finality. At this cue a Meowth popped up, struggled with an equally eager Wobbuffet, and shouted it down with a jaunty "Dats right!"

Sabrina and I eyed them in silence for several seconds. The trio almost collapsed from our lack of response to their performance. Jessie, the redhead, collected herself and smirked down at us, "What have we here? The ninja Koga and Saffron's wicked sorceress teaming up to steal what rightfully belongs to Team Rocket!"

"Stealing from thieves hardly seems like a crime, but we're simply looking for a Pokémon created by Team Rocket to see if we can prevent it from doing any harm," I explained.

"We don't look at it dat way!" chimed in Meowth. "We're here ta protect da Boss's interests."

"How did you know we were on this expedition?" Sabrina asked.

"Ain't tellin'!"

"Ah, but you have little Meowth," Sabrina said smiling smoothly. She turned to me, "Giovanni has been leading a double life, he set them on us."

"Dat tears it!" the cat Pokémon screamed, "We're gonna leave yer bones ta bleach up here ta keep da Boss's secret!"

"Go Arbok!" shouted Jessie.

"Go Weezing!" followed James.

"You poor fools," breathed Sabrina, "Go Jynx."

I released my Venomoth.

It was a more difficult battle than we anticipated. Weezing poisoned Venomoth with sludge and Venomoth returned the favour with toxic. It was my good fortune that Venomoth hit Weezing with psychic causing the flying toxic waste dump to faint, but Venomoth was critically injured and losing health to poison as James produced his shrieking Victreebell. Meanwhile Arbok had paralyzed Jynx with its piercing glare allowing it to hit the ice psychic with its powerful dig attack. Jynx recovered with psywave, which made Arbok reel dizzily, but Arbok somehow managed to bite Jynx causing it to faint.

James' Victreebell was having a worse time against my own sinuous Arbok. My Arbok glared at Victreebell then struck with its own dig, and finished it off with acid. Sabrina countered Jessie's Arbok with Alakazam and the much faster and high level psychic beat Arbok to the punch with a devastating burst of psychic. Jessie wailed at Arbok's faint and produced her Wobbuffet. Sabrina again relied on her Alakazam's speed and power and hit Wobbuffet with an all out psychic attack causing it to faint before it could use its mirror coat. The battle was over quickly, but we had sustained a lot of damage. Sabrina looked morosely at her fainted Jynx, as I contemplated my almost comatose Venomoth.

The Rockets looked equally unhappy. "Now look what you've done!" growled a defiant Jessie.

Sabrina looked up at this and floored me, "I suggest a truce and brief alliance. We have sufficient supplies to revive your Pokémon. Given you have certainly been briefed about your gang's creation and we are better equipped with supplies and strong Pokémon, teaming up would benefit all of us. You already have seen you don't stand a chance against our best Pokémon. What do you say?"

I gaped at Sabrina along with the three Rockets. "Are you [i]kidding[/i]?" Jessie pointedly asked in disbelief.

"Of course not, I have a reputation for humourlessness to uphold," Sabrina replied half-smiling. "Your bravado is admirable because I can tell you dread this Mewtwo more than tackling Koga and I. That must be quite a Pokémon if you'd rather fight a gym leader and an Elite than face it. Something tells me none of us will capture this beast, and we all should cooperate to survive our respective missions."

"How could we trust them?" I asked Sabrina.

"Better to trust the untrustworthy, than face Mewtwo without these three," Sabrina noted, "Well Jessie?"

"What makes you think it's my call? Meowth is the Boss's representative here," Jessie replied uncertainly.

"Well then, what about it little schemer?"

"Aw, what could it hurt? OK ya spooky freak we're wit ya."

Sabrina betrayed the slightest look of hurt, but inclined her head to show her assent.

We had lunch together and Team Rocket provided what they knew about Mewtwo. We decided a frontal approach was needed to flush out Mewtwo and determined to enter the cave after the meal. We handed out revives and max potions to Jessie and James to recover their Pokémon, and ministered to our own as well. We checked our joint supplies at their moored balloon, arranged our packs and walked down to the mouth of the cave.

The cave opened onto the world like the mouth of a Golbat, its mouth was fifty feet tall and seventy-five feet across strewn with rocks fallen from its roof. The river, really a large brook at this point, spilled out over this dam of rocks from a dark and deep pool. We could hear gurgling echoes of water far down in the blackness. We put on hard hats and got out our escape ropes. We then produced our Pokémon with flash, James' Victreebell, Sabrina's Mr. Mime, and my Ariados. With that we worked our way along the narrow shelf on the south side of the pool and plunged into the darkness.

After about an hour of working our way down a narrowing tunnel, always with the infant Viridian River at our right we came to a split in the path. It would have been difficult to make a choice save for the presence of an enormous Venusaur guarding the left tunnel. "Ariados, leech life!" I commanded.

The draining technique did damage, but not near enough, because this was no ordinary Venusaur. It roared and spewed sleep powder in to the cavern. Ariados dodged the attack, but Mr. Mime was soon dreaming. Jessie and James released Arbok and Weezing — "Acid then dig!" commanded Jessie, "Sludge bomb!" prompted James. The Venusaur was greatly weakened by these attacks and retreated down the tunnel.

We followed the injured grass Pokémon at a safe distance, Ariados and I in the lead. Suddenly Sabrina froze alertly with a look of awe, "I sense a vast psychic presence here!" she hissed. She took out a pokéball and released her Alakazam, "Merlin, use future sight!"

Before Alakazam could act a bluish blast of psychic energy struck it causing it to faint. Sabrina reacted reflexively, her face contorted with anguish, then tears started to fall. "Merlin! My starter! Your pain is mine!" she cried piteously. I rushed to her side, "Sabrina," I shouted grasping her shoulder as she turned her tear-streaked face to me, "Let's get my pack and get some revive and full restore for your Merlin!"

That's when the second burst of mental energy arrived, "Future sight!" Sabrina cried. I couldn't handle the throbbing pain in my temples. I could sense her slender fingers curling in my hair and her fading voice crying my name. Then nothingness.

I awoke here in an artificially lighted cell deep in the cave. I could dimly see the pacing forms of Meowth and James, but no sign of Sabrina or Jessie. "Where are we?" I asked in a thick voice.

"Can't say for sure," James replied, "We were knocked out too. This seems to be some sort of cell."

"I can see that," I grumbled. "Well, let me get my journal out. I need to get this down. I'll discuss our situation with you two later."


	9. Natsume and Musashi

Natsume and Musashi

Natsume and Musashi

20 June 2001

Many people would like to have their dreams come true; they're welcome to it. I just had one come to pass and it has made me feel as anxious and unhappy as I've ever felt. In the depths of my psychosis I had no idea I was an unhappy girl, I was simply doing whatever I wanted to, and I had the power to do it. No matter who it hurt. Now I know it hurts to see someone you care about hurt badly and not be able to do something about it. I saw Koga and Merlin (my Alakazam) faint from psychic attacks of such force and quickness I was utterly unprepared for them. The physical pain I suffered was nothing compared to the pain of seeing Koga and Merlin suffer. I'm not ashamed that I cried bitterly for them.

How I stayed conscious through Mewtwo's assault is mysterious, but it saved Merlin, Jessie, and I. Merlin and I have a deep psychic connection, even when he's in a swoon he can sense my thoughts and can use his moves to protect me. Somehow he managed to use teleport to whisk us away from the trouble. Jessie stood between us and was also strong enough to have her wits about her, so she was swept away along with Merlin and myself. Sadly, Koga was snatched from me, and Jessie was separated from her companions as well.

Jessie and I are back at the junction where we first saw the Venusaur. We've come to something of an understanding. I think she will be a valuable ally. She is more courageous than she initially lets on, she's determined and stubborn, she's physically strong, has a feral instinctive intelligence, and underneath her cold exterior she is caring and warm. For once I'm glad can read people quickly. I'll try to write down our conversation after Mewtwo's attack as best I can recall.

"How did we get here?" Jessie asked.

"Merlin can use teleport to aid me if I stay conscious. It's possible that you were the only other being still conscious besides Merlin and I, or you may have hidden psychic skills. Either way Merlin's teleport swept you away with us."

"It's more like psychotic," she half-laughed.

"Whatever," I muttered, "Look, we need to do something about Koga and your partners."

"Like what?" she said emptily.

"Like find them and try to rescue them. I can see James is more than a friend to you, I believe you'd do anything to see him safely back at your side."

"Huh?" she blushed, "What gives you that idea?"

I blushed myself, "I'm sorry, you don't understand why you worry about him so. I don't know much about love, but I have seen it in others, notably my mother and father. You exhibit those feelings for James whether you acknowledge them as such or not."

She blinked at me, "And what would it matter if I did? He can't love a vicious bitch like me anyway." A tear slid down her cheek.

"I'm sorry, but you [i]do[/i]want to rescue him don't you?"

"Yeah sure, of course. Meowth too, I suppose." Then she looked right into my eyes, "You feel the same way about that old ninja, don't you?"

My turn to blink, "I hadn't thought of it that way. He isn't old to me, he's a forthright, shy, lonely compassionate man. I suppose I do harbour stronger feelings than mere friendship for him now, I feel as though I've known him far longer than the few days we've been together."

"Well, what are we going to do about it?"

"I don't know," I mumbled, then I had an insight. "Jessie, your fear of Mewtwo exceeds anything revealed from your briefing. I think you have met with it before but you have no conscious memory of it. If I could enter your subconscious we might learn more about our adversary."

"Well," she said, "What are you waiting for?"

"It's not as simple as reading superficial thought and intention. Your subconscious is little easier for me to enter than it is for yourself. I need to place my hands on your temples to connect our nervous systems as it were. Will you trust me?"

She sighed, and looked at me with a trace of apprehension, sudden resolve in her eyes revealed her decision, "Go ahead, I want to see James again."

I reached out and laid my hands on the sides of her head, slipping my fingers through her long red hair. We both closed our eyes. Then the visions came to me—early memories of an energetic young mother long lost, an awful agonizing youth of brutality and want, fearsome dreams, and hopes of something better. I felt her ache for some sort of success or comfort in life. Then I found access to her memories of Mew and Mewtwo. She and her partners survived near drowning to wash up on New Island pursuing the Ketchem lad who helped me escape my madness. They saw Mewtwo's Pokémon cloning scheme, heard his fearsome telepathic threat to destroy humanity and "Pokémon slaves", saw the cataclysmic battle between Mew and Mewtwo, and the Ketchem boy's martyrdom and resurrection. Mewtwo left to "Learn more in solitude," and wiped conscious memory from the humans who witnessed his plan. "All he wants is enlightenment," I murmured.

At this Jessie's eyes snapped open, "What's that?"

"All Mewtwo wishes is to be left alone to sort out his own existence and that of life itself," I replied.

Jessie nodded then said, "That was amazing! I [i]know[/i]you now. You sure are a lonely girl aren't you?"

"I suppose so," I said hesitantly.

"Don't worry, I understand. I was made to feel an outcast too. I'm impressed that you stuck with your talent even though it made you an outsider. I could never stick to something like that. I'm too lazy."

"Not at all," I said absently, "Don't sell yourself so short."

I shook my head, relieving myself of the last shreds of Jessie's troubled soul, "Mewtwo doesn't necessarily want to harm us, but he wants his privacy. It will be difficult, but I think we can rescue our friends if we promise to leave Mewtwo alone."

Jessie sighed again and smiled thinly at me, "I guess I'm up to it. I sure am glad I have you on my side."

With that she gave me a quick, tight embrace and went off to arrange her supplies and Pokéballs.


	10. Brooding

Brooding

Brooding

21 June 2001

I assume it's been at least a day since I last wrote something. Not too much has transpired. Here we sit wondering what will happen to us, and what has become of Sabrina and Jessie. I am almost desperate enough to join the constant chatter of James and Meowth with its regular punctuation of clawing and thwacking, but it's really beneath my dignity. It is not that those two are such terrible company. James is an oddly sweet-natured ne'er-do-well trying to regain long lost wealth. Meowth is a frustrated hedonist not sure of his true purpose in life. In their own way those two both have good hearts hidden beneath apparently callous exteriors.

My time in this cell affords me time to think. I have used my busy work schedule to avoid genuine reflection about the current course of my life. I am at a crossroad. I have a daughter on the cusp of independence (it's only two years until she's eighteen), the love of my youth has grown distant and disinterested, and I spent over twenty years making my reputation as a gym leader only to be "promoted" to the Elite Four where I feel like a Magikarp in a tree. I stand in the middle of my life and I ponder if there is anything left to me for the rest of it.

I worry about Sabrina, did she survive Mewtwo's onslaught? Is she looking for me? Perhaps, like the practical woman she is, she has sought to save herself to fight another day. When Mewtwo came to our cell he wanted to know about Sabrina too.

A most unusual Pokémon, Mewtwo, perfectly sentient, but curiously detached. He communicated via pure telepathic thought. It was clear he was disturbed by our intrusion, and perplexed about what to do with us. It was quite useless to try to keep my thoughts from him so I thought freely about Sabrina. 

"Human, your concern for the female is most touching. Why do you think so tenderly of her and show such anxiety? Surely she can take care of herself, if she is as talented as you consider her," said Mewtwo.

"I would rather discuss why we came here," I responded.

"Very well, what business brings you to my inviolate hermitage?"

"I was told that you were vengeful and a hazard to humanity. You had destroyed a lab on New Island and the headquarters of Team Rocket," I answered.

"This man, Giovanni, who told you these things has hidden motives."

I am aware of that, but I had my duty to fulfill, and you did destroy the buildings with many human and Pokémon lives lost."

"What of it? My anger was fearful then. I had been used shamefully and kept in the dark like some slithering Dunsparce. I have learned much since then," Mewtwo's thoughts rumbled in my skull.

"What will become of us?"

"I don't know yet, I am contemplating your fate as I await the Natsume woman."

"She lives, and intends to confront you?" I said trying to restrain the hope and concern in my voice.

"Of course. I had a vision of a battle with her. At present she remains aloof behind a psychic veil, but I know she will come," with that he turned and left us.

"What was that about?" asked James.

"Our fate is undetermined and Sabrina still lives," I said distantly.

"What about Jessie?" he said with a quaver.

"Nothing," I said, "Your concern for your friend is admirable."

"I didn't want her to die before..." he trailed off.

"What?"

"Before I could tell her how precious her company is to me, and how beautiful she is," he groaned.

"I'm sorry'" I offered lamely.

"Never mind, sorry to bother you with it," he muttered.

James went away leaving me to consider my own feelings for Sabrina Natsume. How to describe her? A simple physical description would place her height at five feet six inches with long silken black hair to her lower back cut square with straight bangs. She is slender and lanky, with long artistic fingers, she has a rather narrow face with high cheeks, a small, rather thin nose surmounted by widely-spaced, large, expressive violet eyes that exhibit most of the emotion she constrains in the rest of her face, her mouth is thin-lipped and small. In short, she is a most elegant looking woman. She is an intelligent, intuitive and slyly witty conversationalist. I can also see vulnerability and sadness in her that makes me want to take her in my arms and comfort her to ease her loneliness and sorrow. I'm afraid I have surrendered to her charms and fallen in love. In some ways she is much like Lorelei, in others utterly different. Their demeanour and eyes are similar, but where Lorelei is earthy and athletic, Sabrina is cerebral and sedate. Ah, but what would a reserved young girl like Sabrina see in an old warrior past his prime? Still I sorely wish to see her again, perhaps I would have the courage to speak my mind and heart.


	11. Sabrina vs mewtwo

Sabrina vs Mewtwo

Sabrina vs Mewtwo

23 June 2001

What an amazing day. I finally have some time to recount my deeds of yesterday. It's been an exciting, but exhausting and stressful.

Jessie and I took some sleep before we set out down the tunnel of the Venusaur again. It was a light sleep, plagued by unquiet dreams. Visions of mewtwo came to me, a strange large-headed Pokémon, rather humanoid but also like some alien chimerical predatory beast. I awoke breathing rapidly and jostled Jessie.

"You ready?" I asked.

"No. But what of it?" she said from her rocky couch sounding bemused but sleepy. She sat up, shook her ample head of red hair and sighed, "I dreamed about James. Such kind eyes. I must see him again."

"I understand. Promise me something Jessie."

"Huh?" she looked blankly at me.

"You [i]must[/i]tell James how you feel. This is one of the keys to happiness for you," I urged.

"Heh, as if I hadn't thought of that. You think it's so easy for me."

No," I said trying to choose the right words, "No matter how hard it is to say or how poorly you express it, you [i]must[/i]Jessie. Don't expect he'll reject you, he won't."

She looked doubtfully at me, but nodded, "OK. I guess I've waited long enough. But you've got to do something for me too."

"What's that?"

"You do the same when you get a moment alone with Koga. When you laid your hands on me my mind was one with yours too. You ache to belong to something or someone Sabrina Natsume. The way you cried over Koga when he got hurt tipped me off, and the meeting of our minds confirmed it. You really care about this man after being inside his head for the last few days. Give yourself a break kid."

"Sure Jessie, it's only fair," I half-whispered. I shook my head and continued on a new course, "Let's get going. I'll have Mr. Mime put up a barrier and augment it with my own mind to forestall another lightning attack by Mewtwo. Here, take this," I said tossing a Pokéball to her.

"What's this?" she asked, eyeing the ball suspiciously.

"If I'm augmenting Mr. Mime's barrier and sending out psychic feelers I can't command a Pokémon if we see that Venusaur again. You use my Ninetails. Its moves are safeguard, confuse ray, flamethrower and hyper beam."

She looked at me in amazement, "You'd trust [/i]me[/i]? Surely you know how much I've wanted a Ninetails...and such a powerful one..."

I winked at her "I can trust you."

"How could you know?"

"I [i]know[/i]you now," I replied.

For over a mile we shared barely a word as we headed through the darkness lighted by flash – from, of all things, Wobbuffet. "How?" I asked.

She winked at [i]me[/i]this time, "If you're scary enough even a Wobbuffet will learn the occasional HM."

Well into the second hushed mile I sensed a tickling in my brain, then I realized what it was, "Jessie!" I whispered urgently, "Koga has contacted me! I think if can pay close enough attention we might be able to teleport to his location!"

At this point the Venusaur charged out of the darkness as if cued by my voice.

"I'm on it!" cried Jessie as she released Ninetails. "Safeguard!"

Ninetails' safeguard went up just in time as the passage filled with sleep powder. "Use flamethrower to clear that powder and char the weed!" Jessie ordered Ninetails.

Venusaur dodged the flame and let fly with a flurry of knife-like leaves, our barrier protected Mr. Mime and I, but Ninetails and Jessie got hurt. Jessie received a cut or two to her face as she hit the tunnel floor and shouted, "Flamethrower again!"

The wall of flame hit the Venusaur full force and it bellowed in pain, then fainted. "Let's get out of here!" Jessie insisted.

"Not yet, I'm going to give it some burn heal. Poor thing," as I knelt next to the inert Venusaur.

"I should've known," Jessie said with a trace of disgust.

"I'm not like I was a few years ago. I had no mercy in me then, just a twisted sense of justice," I said apologetically.

Heck, you think I don't remember the day I spent paralyzed and humiliated by you?"

"Why do you forgive me?" I queried as I realized this was indeed true.

"If it had been in my power I would've done the same to you," she shrugged.

"You know, when I saw you at the rental desk I envied your unabashed aggressiveness, but now I see it's just your way of protecting yourself."

"Just like your silence and emotional control. We've already learned a lot from each other," Jessie parried.

"I guess the quiet control freak complements the brash bombshell," I smiled.

"Guess so," Jessie laughed. "What was that about Koga contacting you? Do your antennae still have that frequency tuned-in?"

I focussed my attention and sensed Koga's mind touching mine again, "Yes, it's still there. I don't believe he's even aware that his thoughts about me are reaching out to my mind."

"Let's get going, maybe he'll lead us straight to them!"

We left the fallen grass Pokémon with Wobbuffet taking the lead casting eerie shadows on the sculpted walls of the cavern. Around the next bend we encountered a great metal door blocking our path. I sighed, "This is where we find out if my 'fix' on Koga's position allows us to teleport to him."

I called out my Alakazam, "Merlin triangulate on the position I am focussed upon," I commanded. I could sense his telepathic probe locking on to the point in space my very soul encompassed. "Teleport," I intoned.

To my relief we materialised in a brightly lit beige hallway outside a barred cell. In the cell were the pacing James and Meowth, and Koga seated in the far corner concentrating darkly.

"James I'm here!" cried Jessie over my shoulder.

I almost burst into tear at the sight of Koga. All he said was, "Well my dear, my prayers have been answered."

"You look well..." was all I could muster.

A powerful presence entered my mind, "So Sabrina Natsume, you have come as I have long expected. I have been awaiting you for some time. Do you think the greatest human psychic can match the greatest psychic Pokémon?"

I turned ever so slowly, he filled the hallway behind me. His massive head with its narrow cat-like eyes looked too large for his slender neck and shoulders, his heavy tail balanced him. He had a reduced number of digits on his fore and hind limbs and he assumed a bipedal stance although he stood on his toes like a cat. "Are you surprised by my appearance human?"

"No, I have seen you in visions as often as you have seen me. Are you surprised at my appearance Mewtwo?"

"A frail body means nothing if the mind has inborn strength and it has been honed by a lifetime of practise," Mewtwo answered.

"Quite so. I suppose I should dispense with Pokémon?"

"Of course, this fight should be truly one-on-one."

I knew I had to strike quickly to have any chance of success. I put out the lights and pushed Mewtwo back with a burst of telekinesis. Mewtwo hit the far wall beyond the doorway with great force, but I could see his eyes glow with pale blue fire.

It felt as though my ribs would collapse as I floated helpless off the floor. I forced myself to concentrate and escaped Mewtwo's telekinetic grip by teleporting into the chamber with him. I filled the chamber with blinding light to distract him, then sent a piercing bolt of pure anger into his skull. I could hear him groan inside my head, it pained my own scalp.

I had not weakened him nearly enough. His next telekinetic attack gripped me tightly knocking the wind out of me. It left me gasping as he exerted an inexorably tighter mental grip on my mind and body. I felt my mind going inky black when it struck me, "You can only defeat him with love. Cease resisting and enter his mind."

My mind floated free into his, he was concentrating so hard on crushing me he took no notice of the invasion. I became one with him and felt the anomie, anger, frustration, and doubt inside this mightiest of beings. I touched something forgotten in his soul. I could hear my voice, as if from a great distance, saying something strange and sad in a small child's voice, "Thank you for your tears. But Mewtwo, don't cry. You're going to live. And I'm sure that living is wonderful."

Then I heard Mewtwo's voice inside my brain answer as my pain subsided, "Ai, they won't stop...The tears...What should I do? Ai, answer me..."

I opened my eyes to see Mewtwo standing over me with head bowed, and it was most extraordinary. It was the first time I had ever seen a Pokémon crying. "I'm sorry Mewtwo. Your first memory...buried deep...was of mourning for a dying cloned human girl."

"No. Do not apologize. I have spent years believing there could be no true bond between humans and Pokémon. The Ketchem boy gave me a glimpse, but I couldn't accept it. Now I must. Ai touched me in my heart. Thank you for giving her back to me."

"Your welcome," I whispered as I began to realize how much he had hurt me.

"Thank you for your insight as well Natsume. The power of love is the greatest and I have only the barest inkling of it," Mewtwo acknowledged.

"I am only just learning that lesson myself. The mind cannot find its fullest expression without love. I only wish I truly had that gift," I said in a weak voice.

"Go speak with Kunoichi and Musashi," was all he said.

I felt my body borne along telekinetically back to the cell in the adjoining chamber. I gently drifted to the floor at the feet of Koga. Jessie rushed over from James and hovered over me.

"Well, Sabrina didn't I tell you that you were a valuable member of this expedition? I stand vindicated. You are the most valuable part of our team," he said admiringly.

"Not really, you taught me what I needed to know to turn Mewtwo aside. And [i]you[/i]said you had nothing to teach me," I said closing my eyes and slipping off into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	12. Treachery

Treachery

Treachery

24 June 2001

It's good advice about being careful what you wish for. I had dearly wanted to see Sabrina again. When I did, we shared few words and I had the horror of watching her frail body abused by Mewtwo's power. I found myself holding her silken-haired head in my lap, stroking it gently, grieving and worrying about what seemed to be a psychically induced coma.

Jessie came over, "Um, Koga? Would it be all right if I had a look at Sabrina? I've had quite a bit of training as a nurse when I was a kid. Maybe I could figure out something."

I could hardly say no, there was genuine concern in Jessie's eyes. Jessie knelt down next to Sabrina and carefully checked her eyes, breathing, and pulse. "She seems normal enough, but her sleep reminds me of something."

"What's that?"

"She's just like someone who's been exposed to the Sing move, especially the therapeutic version used by Chanseys and Blisseys. All I can guess is that Mewtwo somehow used Sing, or something like it, after he delivered Sabrina to us after their battle."

It was a relief to hear this, "Thank you for setting my mind at ease. Then she will awake after a normal sleep cycle?"

"By all indications she should," the red headed thief smiled cryptically at me and returned to her friends.

I set about trying to make Sabrina as comfortable as possible, as I continued to ponder the problem of leaving Mewtwo's underground hideaway. Our temporary allies were remarkably quiet save for the ever-chatty Meowth. James and Jessie said little and they appeared to be avoiding direct eye contact. I decided there wasn't much point in staying awake with Sabrina apparently in a healing sleep and those three being so quiet. I crawled into my half-zipped sleeping bag and eventually drifted off to sleep. I should not have been so complacent, but I was tired and emotionally drained.

I was awakened by a rough nudge to my face. I started and blearily looked up into the face of Meowth. "Hey ninja! Rise n' shine! We're in charge here."

I was immediately awake to the shocking realization that our allies had turned on us. I looked for my pack and found that they had made off with my Pokémon and supplies. Sabrina's hip pack was in their possession as well. "You're quite mad you know," I said.

Jessie and James actually looked sheepish, but it was clear Meowth had managed to convince them of the feasibility, if not the wisdom, of his desperate plan. "Tanks fer gettin' us inta dis menagerie of rare and powerful Pokémon. Da Boss'll fergive us everything if we give 'im Mewtwo back," Meowth crowed.

"You haven't a chance! You saw how powerful Mewtwo is, and his Pokémon are certainly as strong as that Venusaur we met," I protested.

"Ha! Sabrina weakened Mewtwo for us, it'll be a piece a' cake!" insisted Meowth.

"I don't believe he's weakened at all. Sabrina simply defused his fury." I could not dampen the determined Pokémon's confidence and it was clear Jessie and James were steadfast in one thing, their indecisiveness in the face of their comrade's bravado.

"Meowth's right," James said trying to echo the cat's enthusiasm, "We can't ignore our duty to Team Rocket. We came here to help the Boss get Mewtwo back and we can't let him down."

I made a move to reach for a dagger hidden in my tunic, but the quick eye of the cat caught it, "Jimmie he's makin' his move!"

"Victreebell! Stun spore!" James responded, and I felt my limbs go numb, although my disciplined mind remained clear.

"Well, we'll be on our way," Jessie said not looking at all sure about this turn of events.

"You fools! You'll spoil everything! Betraying Mewtwo's trust will kill us all!" I gasped.

They turned away just as a calm feminine voice entered our minds, "You will assault Mewtwo over my dead body!"

Meowth turned around slowly, "Dat can be arranged."

Sabrina stood at the far corner of the cell, next to her crumpled sleeping bag looking very composed and in command, "So you think, but you are delusional. I know this because I've been there myself."

Meowth could not see his own partner's doubt as he cockily taunted the psychic, "Oh yeah, and yer the one who used _'love'_ ta defeat the great Mewtwo. Let's see ya use that against _us_ sister!" he said his voice laced with cruel sarcasm.

"As you wish, so it shall be," Sabrina answered.

"Jessie, James, please look into each others eyes — Now," Sabrina commanded.

'Hey! Whatcha doin'?" Meowth suddenly sounded doubtful.

Jessie turned and looked wide-eyed at James who returned her gaze. "What do you see?" Sabrina's thoughts demanded.

"I see...James," Jessie replied softly.

"Um, Jessie," James observed.

"And what is this person to you?" Sabrina continued her interrogation.

James started with a halting stammer, "Er, uh, she, she's the only person in the world who understands me and lets my be me without judgement. I...I _need_ her. I want her close to me...all the time. I wish she loved me as much as I love her...because I do."

Jessie's eyes grew wider and more woeful as this speech sunk in, "How could you...I'm nasty, I'm mean, I...I only care for myself. I hit you and disrespect you for Godssake! Nobody loves _me_...can they? I had no idea!" A flood of tears ran down her cheeks.

"I must repeat the question," Sabrina's gentle voice broke in, "What is James to _you_ Jessie?"

"He's the best friend I ever had! For years that was enough, but I'm not blind or dumb, he's a beautiful sweet man, and he accepts and _cares_ about me. How could I _not_ love him? How come I didn't know he loved me back? I must be a horribly cold bitch!" By now her eyes were squeezed shut, hidden behind her tightly clenched fists.

"It suited you to believe yourself cold, strong and unaffected by love. What had it ever done for you but make your heart bleed? Before James, other men would not put up with your independence and spirit — he sees, he understands. Jessie needs her space and her autonomy. James grants her that and he gives her comfort when she is afraid, defeated, and feeling alone. I have been within the depths of your mind and I know your fears. Surrender to your heart's desire, Jessie. Thank you for keeping your promise to me," with this Sabrina closed her large, sympathetic eyes and bowed her head.

"Dis ain't fair! Hey guys!" Meowth shouted, but Jessie and James were in a tight embrace with their faces buried in each other's shoulders.

"Come now Meowth,'" Sabrina soothed, "Did you really believe you could take on Mewtwo, even with the help of those two?"

"Give it up Meowth," I rasped, "Your determination is admirable, but your cause is hopeless and unjust."

"I won't!" he screamed, "I can use yer Pokémon and da witch's. I'll win yet!"

'Meowth, Pokémon cannot command Pokémon. Without gym badges even your partners would have had great trouble commanding our Pokémon," Sabrina pointed out.

"I can't! I'll never get back in good wit da Boss. You guys've got each other. What has Meowth got! Nothin!" he complained, "I tell ya, it ain't fair!"

"I could use telekinesis on you little one, but riddle me this. What do you really owe this Giovanni who replaced and exiled you? Why not throw in your lot with your true friends and eventually learn your true purpose in life?"

"Yeah Meowth," Jessie offered, "Why not join us? Who'd keep us in line if you threw your life away now?"

Meowth looked dejected, but clamed down, "Aw, youse guys. Ya let me down."

"Not at all Meowth. We just saved your butt again," chuckled James.

"OK, OK," Meowth grumbled, "But what'll we do now?"

"I guess we've got to leave here with these two. Got any ideas guys?" Jessie said looking to Sabrina and I.

"Give me a paralysecureberry and I'll tell you what I've been thinking,' I said.


	13. Mewtwo's Benediction

Mewtwo's Benediction

Mewtwo's Benediction

25 June 2001

It is ironic, is it not? The icy woman who seldom gave love back even to her parents. The girl who made her mother into a paralytic toy and drove her father into hiding. Who would have predicted she would use love to turn aside the great Mewtwo and short-circuit the amorality of Team Rocket? But it is true – Sabrina the cold-hearted Sorceress of Saffron relied on an emotion almost entirely alien to herself to "win" her battles. Love is indeed a kind of psychic power. I watched Jessie and James passionately hugging each other as Meowth reluctantly handed Koga a paralysecureberry. I tried to avoid Koga's steady, benevolent gaze and felt my face become uncomfortably warm. Jessie caught my eye over James' shoulder, her eyes widened and she silently mouthed the words, "Tell him now!"

But how could I? He was about to tell us his plan to get us out of Mewtwo's lair. I could hardly interrupt his train of thought now. It [i]was[/i] true that I was in love, I couldn't avoid facing that any longer. Koga filled my mind. His kindness, his rugged but pleasing face, his honesty, his dedication to his Pokémon and his craft, and his regard for an alienated, bitter and unfeeling woman who had not realized how much she needed acceptance and admiration. As Jessie said of James, how could I [i]not[/i] love this man?

But how could Koga love me? My doubts almost drowned me. I'm not very pretty with my limp hair, lack of a figure, and bland poker face. Perhaps his attachment had more to do with the woman inside the shell, but how could a man who hadn't developed his psychic powers see inside me? Besides I'm not sure the inside is any prettier than the exterior, I have a great talent developed at the expense of a personality or social skill. For goodness sake, I spent my teens enduring paranoia and multiple personalities! I looked at Koga again and couldn't think of a thing to say.

"I can't say I've come up with anything terribly original," Koga announced. "But unless Mewtwo returns here soon we need to go looking for him. If we make a move to escape he's likely to stop us. I imagine he realizes that others will soon follow us, therefore a new stronghold in a different place will be a necessity. If we reason with him I believe he will allow us to leave in peace. Sabrina – your Alakazam should be able to teleport us to the entrance."

"How did you know that?" I asked.

"Jessie informed me about how you two got here after you passed out," Koga replied. "Our appearance at the gate will attract Mewtwo, that will be our chance to bargain with him."

"Sounds good ta me. Anybody else got anythin' better ta offer?" said Meowth.

"I'm all for it," James chimed in.

"You can count me in too," Jessie added.

"Very well," I murmured. "Go Merlin."

Merlin popped out of his ball with a bright red flash and looked expectantly at me, "Merlin please teleport us to your last position."

Almost instantaneously we rematerialized outside of the metal doorway in the cave. A deep voice sounded inside my head, "Such hasty leave taking by honoured guests. You are most unkind."

Mewtwo stood in the darkness beyond us surrounded by a pale blue psychic fire. Koga spoke, "Surely you didn't expect us to await your return for much longer, could you now?"

"I had my reasons for waiting. Some of the events I had foreseen have yet to come to pass. They must happen while you humans remain here," Mewtwo's voice sounded in our minds.

"What events?" Koga demanded.

"Sabrina has something to discuss with you."

Koga's intense gaze fell on me and I quickly turned away to shun his glare, but I felt his eyes piercing my soul. I felt a bit queasy, and stared fixedly at the cavern wall, "Go ahead Sabrina. What is he talking about?"

I spoke to the wall in a small broken voice, "Well...I've never felt very strongly about anyone, even my parents. That is, until the last few days. You've been so kind to me. When you finally opened up to me you were honest, and you treated me as an equal and a friend not like some freak or monster. You even considered me pretty. Then when you were hurt and taken from me...the burning behind my left breast never stopped, it was so...painful. Entering Jessie's mind showed me the heat of her passion and I discovered such a passion burned in me too." I finally turned my brimming eyes to him, "I want your company now and always Koga. I feel secure and happy when I'm with you. Will you have me?"

He looked at me with sympathy and concern, "I was afraid you wouldn't have me. I'm old enough to be your father."

I almost laughed through my tears, "Oh Koga, that's not important! Even when I'm not reading minds I can always detect the essence of others. Your essence is strong and youthful, however old the flesh. I love you, and that's all that matters!"

"And you have my heart Princess of the Mind," Koga said as he bowed humbly to me.

"Ah, this is excellent. Two powerful and worthy humans form a strong bond. Sabrina, reminding me of my time with Ai made me understand that it is my destiny to promote a stronger and more symbiotic relationship between Pokémon and humans," Mewtwo mused.

Koga turned to look at our host, "I presume you will be moving your base of operations elsewhere? Others will surely be attracted by the same rumours that drew us here. Your peace is not secure."

"Of course. I will be gone from here very soon."

"Where will you go?" I asked.

"That is not important. If I revealed the secret to all of you it would cease to be one. I shan't erase your memories, I believe your experience of me may prevent the prudent from seeking me. The less prudent...well," and his gaze fell on Team Rocket, "that is why I must have secrecy."

His eyes settled on Meowth, "I have a special task for you talkative one."

"Whatcha want wit me?" Meowth sputtered nervously.

"I believe if humans could speak with Pokémon they might be more inclined to treat them as colleagues and less inclined to simply exploit them. For instance, Sabrina can form a psychic bond with her partners and they have been her closest companions until now. However most humans are only dimly aware of their psychic powers, speech is needed for them to communicate effectively with the Pokémon they live with," Mewtwo explained.

"Yeah, I s'pose ya want me ta teach some Pokémon ta talk. Is dat it?"

"Quite so. I have cloned a female Meowth from southern California. I hope you might teach her to speak so that she could become your mate and start a line of Meowths that teach their hatchlings human language."

"Now wait a minnit big guy. What makes ya think I'm gonna give up bachelorhood dat easy?" Meowth retorted.

"Hold your decision until you meet your intended," Mewtwo cautioned.

"OK, where is she?"

"Come forth and meet Giovanni's Meowth small one," Mewtwo commanded, and a pretty Meowth scampered out of the darkness.

"Ya gotta be kiddin' dat's Meowsie!" Meowth gasped.

"Her clone actually. She's physically similar, but her experience and upbringing is entirely different form the original still living in Los Angeles with an alley Persian."

"If it ain't her...I dunno," Meowth stammered, "Hey kiddo do ya think I'm a freak? Couldja talk like me?" Then he lapsed into his own Pokémon dialect, "Meowth, yowth, yow?" The female Meowth answered quickly.

"Wow, she thinks I'm pretty cute!" he said grinning, "Maybe we could hit it off. Ya gotta deal Mewtwo I'll teach 'er human lingo."

"Thank you Meowth, yours is the beginning of a great line," Mewtwo's thoughts intruded, "Well, it is time we parted. I shall teleport you to Viridian City. I already took the liberty of moving your vehicles there. Farewell humans, and thank you for showing me some of the road to enlightenment."


	14. Bedridden

Bedridden

As soon as I got back to Fuchsia Gym my health deserted me. Perhaps I'm exhausted, perhaps I met with some exotic disease that had my immune system's number. Perhaps it's both. Whatever it is, I'm bedridden and have spent more than half of my time here asleep. Janine is being unpleasantly solicitous, she's concerned enough about me and is tending to me gently but she's been blaming my illness on poor Sabrina and I'm not strong enough or quite willing to argue about it with her just now. How did I get here?

I recall materializing in the City Square opposite the Viridian City Pokémon Gym with my companions. I looked around and saw Sabrina - so beautiful, so calm, so skillful. She turned and met my gaze then she smiled serenely. I could also see James, Jessie, Meowth and his new companion, I wondered what their next move would be.

"Well you three, your master's gym stands yonder. Are you returning to your job, or have you done with it?" I asked.

The woman, Jessie, looked up at me with an empty wide eyed gaze that gave the impression I was looking through to the sky behind her, "You know I had completely forgotten about that...damn Gio...um, the boss won't like this."

"Dat's fer sure," Meowth added, "I ain't too keen ta show up wit' Meowsie II at da gym."

James looked downcast, "We've failed him again and....and we're in violation of a bunch of rules." He counted on his fingers, "Anti-fraternization, the one prohibiting intimacy, disobeying a senior teammate's directive, revealing the boss's identity. Lord! We'll be working this off in the fossil mines until we're old and gray."

"If we're that fortunate," shuddered Jessie.

Sabrina broke in, "Why bother returning to Team Rocket?"

"It's not as if we had a choice," James answered, "If we leave without notice the boss will have his assassins after us so fast we'd be cold stone dead in less than two days."

Sabrina nodded and looked thoughtful, "You know," she mused sounding distant, "with the knowledge Koga and I have of his activities and my ability to pass it on, even if I'm killed, I think I could convince Giovanni to forestall the arrival of his hired killers indefinitely."

"How can you do that?" a stunned Jessie wondered.

"Any powerful psychic who meets an untimely end continues on as pure spiritual mental energy. This is the origin of ghosts, all ghosts were once strong psychics whether they were aware of it or not."

"Awright dat's fine I guess we'll be seein' ya. We'll just head off ta sleep in da Viridian Forest," Meowth said without much enthusiasm.

"If you four promise to do some odd jobs for me I'd be pleased to have you come to Saffron with me. I'd like to have some 'muscle' to keep the leader of the Fighting Dojo out of my affairs," Sabrina offered with a trace of an ironic smile.

"Um, sure that seems pretty fair," James mumbled looking uncertainly at his companions.

"I'd like it better den sleepin' on da ground anudder night, heh, mebbe Meowsie an' me can get up a good caterwaul tonight," Meowth agreed.

Jessie frowned and sighed, "Since your not making us into charity cases I guess I can stand it."

"Fine, I'm glad that's settled," and Sabrina turned to me, "Koga, I really do have to go to Saffron after being away for so many days. My father will be sure to think that something awful has happened to me. As it is, he will be displeased if I don't use care telling him about our...ah, understanding." and she blushed ever so slightly.

"That's alright," I said, "I'm feeling a bit tired and stiff and I have my own gym and relations to check in on before I have time for the pleasure of your company." I sighed, "Do come down as soon as you can, or perhaps I could give you a call?"

Her eyes almost glowed, "I'm a very impatient woman, that's why I teleport everywhere I can. I will be down before you can settle in," and she leaned over and kissed me gently on the cheek. "I will miss you until then."

With that she nodded to Jessie, James, Meowth and Meowsie II. They shimmered unnervingly and then they were gone, leaving me with my wistful yearning for a few more minutes with Sabrina. I turned my weary feet in the direction of Viridian Station, bought my ticket, and fell asleep in my berth.

When I awoke I was gripped by a violent chill. By the time the train reached Fuchsia Janine and Aya almost had to carry me off the train. I mumbled something about having to phone Sabrina, but they bundled me up and consigned me to my bed with a raging fever. Janine's parting words were, "Whatever that witch did to you, rest assured we'll protect you from her."


	15. Abused and Vindicated

Abused and Vindicated

I feel abused, but vindicated. So much of importance has happened over the last two weeks, and the previous two days were, if anything, as eventful as the previous eleven. I have shed more tears and experienced more emotion over this fortnight than over any of my prior twenty-one years, or so it seems to me now.

After Jessie, James, Meowth and Meowsie II and I teleported from Viridian City we stood in front of my gym tired but intact. I turned to my guests, "Please allow me to go in and have a word with my father. I doubt he will be happy to hear I'm offering sanctuary to a bunch of Rocket agents."

"Ok, you do what you have to do," Jessie replied.

I walked through the double doors and down the hallway to the Leader's Office watching junior psychics, channelers, and would-be hypnotists back into the walls or dive into rooms off the hallway as I advanced. I reached out to knock on the office door and my father's gruff voice came through the wood and entered my mind, "No need to knock dear, I knew you were back as soon as you entered the gym."

I opened the door telekinetically. My father stood next to my desk his dark hair and beard around his chin peppered with gray. "I kept things in order while you were away," he said needlessly, "You know I'm proud of you for taking on a mission with an Elite Four member. I always hoped you would come out of that shell you were hiding within."

I looked into his deep brown eyes and sighed trying to avoid thinking thoughts about Koga and what he meant to me now, it was a strain trying to block out my father's curious probing. "I need to discuss something with you, and I will need the phone to make a call to the Viridian City Gym."

"What is it?" he said, "And why are you so defensive?"

I conjured up in my mind an image of the Rocket trio cooling their heels outside the gym. Father's eyes widened slightly, then I accessed my memories of Jessie's mind to give him an inkling of my motive for sheltering her and her friends.

"This is very unlike you Natsume, you are just, but seldom generous. Why do you offer these raffish criminals our protection here?" Father said becoming stiffly formal and businesslike.

"Because everyone deserves a second chance if they seriously take it. This Musashi woman is inclined to be my friend and I wish to help her and her lover start anew. The Meowth that travels with them will some day become an important link between humans and Pokémon as well."

"It's a severe risk to arouse the enmity of Giovanni. I've known him for much longer than you, he is grasping and vengeful."

"I think I can handle it," I said bowing my head to father in respect.

"And I suppose you can handle loving a man only a couple of years my junior too?" he growled.

I blushed from head to toe, "I...I think that is my business. I happen to think we are better matched in other ways."

"To think my cautious, self-possessed daughter would give her heart when it could most easily be bruised or torn in two," he said quietly, "I fear for you my dear, you know nothing of what it takes for a man and a woman to live together."

"I'm willing to take the risk," I sniffed trying to keep my suddenly rampant emotions in check, "I've seen the man's heart and he has a great fondness and respect for me."

He looked tired, closed his eyes and said, "Very well, but always remember that your mother and I are here if...if you get hurt."

I smiled, "Of course father." I reflected for a moment, "You know, this is the first time I can really see your love for me. I don't believe I would have noticed it before this trip."

"Are you going to introduce me to our new, ahem, employees?"

"Oh yes, let me fetch them."

* * * * * * *

My father went off with Team Rocket to show them around the gym and settle them into their quarters. I sat at my desk and switched on the Visiphone with my mind, I said, "Call Viridian City 501-6666 extension 1." I watched the random snow on the screen trying to compose myself. In all my years in charge of the Marsh Badge I had never spoken to the forbidding defender of Earth Badge. An image took shape. A man in a russet business suit with his face obscured by shadow stroking the head of a Persian appeared on the screen.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of a call from the Saffron City Gym Leader?" he said with a trace of menace.

"Koga and I were able to locate Mewtwo," and I noted his body becoming tensely coiled, "In the process we ran into some of your underlings."

"Those idiots!" he muttered he then calmed down and said, "No need to worry about them they will be taken care of. I'll do the same for you if you dare tell anyone else about this."

"Your threats have no effect on me, if I die my ghost will give you no rest and bring on your inevitable ruin, and rest assured I will tell the League and the police about your operation if you raise your hand against Koga or Jesse, James and Meowth. These last three are now in my employ."

"You are a fool to associate with those bumblers, but be my guest, they will ruin you before I would be able to do so."

"I find they have strengths you never saw in them. They will do much better in a smaller organization with less stringent demands."

"Ha! We will see about that. So what did my great creation have to say? Mewtwo should come home."

"I believe Mewtwo allowed you should go to a much warmer and lower place than here, and no, he's not in those caverns any longer," I said suppressing a smirk.

"Well, enjoy your incompetent new 'friends' and inform them to keep their mouths shut about Team Rocket and me if they know what's good for them. Which I doubt."

With that he abruptly cut off the call leaving me in a cold sweat, although I knew from probing his unpleasantly scheming mind that we all were safe, at least for the foreseeable future.

* * * * * *

I was anxious to call Koga. I told the phone, "Please dial Fuchsia 606-4652." The screen remained fuzzy for a long time until a brusque message flashed on the screen, "The party refuses your call."

I blinked. Koga refusing my call? Something wasn't right. Still, my father's warning flashed through my mind. I stood up slowly, unsteadily and walked numbly into the hall and bumped into Jessie and James walking down the hall arm in arm.

"Your father's as warm and charming as you are," James noted wryly.

"Uh huh," I mumbled.

Jessie's eyebrows shot upward, "What's with you?" Then she went a bit green and gasped, "Oh no! Gio's gonna rub us out anyway isn't he?"

"No that's taken care of," I murmured, "I just had a call refused at Koga's gym. I was so sure..."

Jessie scowled, "Listen girl, it can't be what you think, but it's still not good. Let's go down to Fuchsia right now!"

"It can wait," I said softly. "We need some rest now. I'll go there in the morning."

"I'm coming with you," Jessie said decisively.

"If you wish," I sighed turning to head down the hall to my room.

I could hear Meowth's parting comment, "Boy she sure looked spooked. Din't she?"

* * * * * *

In the morning I arose very early, and quickly got dressed in my usual black turtleneck, red tunic, black pants and leather boots. I combed my hair distractedly and went down to the former Rocket's room to tap on the door. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Jessie coming down the hall from the lobby, she was wearing a red turtleneck with a blue vest and dark green slacks.

"I was waiting outside. C'mon let's go."

"Why are you doing this?"

She looked evenly into my eyes, "You made me admit my love to James, and you're the first person besides James who tried to understand me. I'm not going to see you get hurt and not do anything about it."

"Thanks."

"It's nothing really," Jessie mumbled turning fuchsia reminding me of our destination.

Once we were on the train, I settled into my seat and looked at my companion. She was looking out the window watching Saffron flash by as the magnet train gained speed. She turned and said, "Look, there's something else I have to do," as she dug a Pokéball out of her vest. "I don't want to hold onto your Ninetails too long, I'll start to think it's mine."

"Oh, but it _is,"_ I said smiling ever so slightly, "You're my friend. Lonely hearts like us need all the friends they can get. Let Ninetails be a sign of my regard for you. Its fire suits your fire dear Musashi."

Her tough façade fell away, "Oh...I...um, wow, this is so...amazing." She remained silent for a long time clutching the Pokéball tightly. "Nobody ever did anything like this for me except for James giving me my Ekans for my birthday. Look, would you like to trade for my Wobby?"

"No that's OK," I replied. "You need at least one psy Pokémon in my gym."

We were quiet for awhile, but we eventually started to talk about our recent adventures and the painful things that happened in our respective childhoods. It didn't seem very long before the train started to brake outside Fuchsia City as Fuchsia Bay flickered on our right. I took a deep breath and looked at the city map we purchased at Saffron Station, the gym was in a vast park near the southern edge of the Safari Zone. We'd need a taxi. I wished rather bitterly that I had traveled more often to gyms other than my own. As it was I could only teleport to two or three gyms in Kanto.

We stepped out of the taxi at the tall ornate gate to the Fuchsia Gym, an imposing and intricate mansion with two wings and a tall central hall. I turned to Jessie. "I want you to hang back in the lobby until I've tried to see Koga. You're here to give moral support, not to break down doors and browbeat anybody who gets in my way."

"OK." Jessie reluctantly agreed with a frown.

The receptionist in the lobby looked us over briefly, "Hmmm, a visit from a fellow gym leader. Don't expect to see Koga, he's sick and confined to his bed, but I'll let you talk to his daughter."

I gave a little gasp causing him to raise his eyebrow, "Something wrong?"

"Um, not really. You see I'm a psy Pokémon specialist and I had a premonition of the girl."

"Aw, Janine's a tough cookie, but she's fair. Don't worry about it."

"Oh I'll keep that in my mind," but I couldn't help feeling my heart sink as I recalled my dream. "Is Koga going to get better soon? I really did want to talk to him alone."

"Dunno, ask Janine. I'll go tell her you're here."

"Thank you."

I stared at the halls with their dark hangings and displays of the exotic weaponry of the Ninja's craft. It wasn't a cheerful place in which to wait.

The man returned looking over his bifocals, "Follow me, Janine will see you." He looked appraisingly at me, "What did you ever do to Janine? She looked really mad when I brought up your name."

"I told you, I never met the girl," I sighed. "Except in a dream."

"Oh," he said uncomprehendingly scratching his receding hairline.

I followed him down the hall feeling very shaky. At the fifth door on the left he stopped and opened it. The room it gave onto was small with wine-colored tapestries showing stylized Samurai in battle at night. The girl was seated in a plush chair that matched the color of the wall hangings. She wore a black suit with a short velvet cape. She was a little shorter than I with black hair forming a helmet of corkscrew ringlets, and she had a ponytail tied carelessly into a loose bun over her hair whorl. Her eyes were as dark as Koga's but betrayed the nature of a sly trickster. She had a confident cavalier air, but this was obscured by a supremely sour expression of distrust and petulance. How was I to talk to a teenager determined to hate me and not listen to a word I would say? I felt horribly helpless.

I sighed, "This may sound strange but we've met before...in a dream."

She looked a little shocked, "Yes, June 16. Guess that means we don't need to say anything. Right?"

"I'm afraid I must. I don't know how to put this to you," I sighed raggedly. "I'm in....love with your father, desperately attached to him. I came here out of worry. Not taking my call last night brought on this confrontation rather than forestalling it."

"Look witch! I don't know how you brainwashed my dad or what you did to make him so sick, but I'll be damned if you get anywhere near him!"

I struggled with my emotions, "How could you be that kind, open-hearted man's daughter? Your father _never_ thought of me in those terms." I couldn't prevent a tear trickling down my face.

"I've heard the stories, from my teachers at Poké Tech and from other trainers. You played with people as if they were toys. You forced trainers you defeated to stay in your gym and you did terrible things to them!" Her voice was rising to a cold venomous fury, "I know about _you_ - the heartless, calculating, terrorizing psychic protector of the Marsh Badge! Well, our badge is the Soul Badge, which is more soul than you'll ever have."

I hung my head, "I can't deny some of the things said about me, but I've matured. I have not done any of that in years, although I admit I still try to scare my opponents to test their mettle. Please, I'm worried about Koga, if there are any psychological roots to his malady I could help. I beg you, I love him and can't bear to contemplate his pain."

Her eyes narrowed. "He's my dad and I just know you'll do him nothing but harm'" she snarled through clenched teeth.

It dawned on me that this was hauntingly close to my own talk with my father the previous day. I went silent and looked into her dark mind and was crushed by her deep hatred and her fear of never seeing her mother reconciled with her father. I couldn't deal with this now. I needed time to consider how to defuse her fears. I tried to control my voice but the emotion caused it to break, "All right I'll leave you now, but I do care about your father very much and I really want to know you because of your importance in his life."

"Get the Hell out of here!" she hissed.

I walked out of the room in a fog. I absently brushed my sleeve across my eyes and nose to staunch the tears, but they wouldn't cease. I bumped into someone, a wiry young woman about an inch or two taller than I. "Sorry," I mumbled sniffing lightly.

"Hey, don't I know you?" the blue-black haired girl said in surprise, "Yes, of course, you're that Natsume girl I won the Marsh Badge from last year. Did you come down to see Koga? Hey you're crying, what's up?" she said handing me a blue silk handkerchief.

"Oh, too complicated," I muttered disconsolately.

"Try me," she said brightly. "Weren't you and my big brother off in the hills on a mission for the last two weeks?"

"Yes," I said quietly. "I guess it won't hurt to admit I've grown very attached to Koga and I'm worried about him. But..." and I choked on a sob.

"But Janine won't let you see him?"

"That's the size of it Aya."

"If you want access, I think I could arrange that," Aya said reassuringly.

"That hardly seems right if I haven't made things right with the girl," I said half-heartedly.

"Tell you what, she won't be able to deny a battle for the Soul Badge with a gym leader. Let's make a side bet that if you win she'll have to let you talk to Koga."

"You think she'd consent to that?"

"I'm sure of it," Aya allowed, "She's pretty cocky and she'd probably believe she could get rid of you permanently that way."

"I don't know if I'm up to it," I sighed.

"Love will find a way," she winked, smiled at me and with a toss of her long ponytail she went to the room where Janine still fumed.

* * * * * *

As we stood in the ornately carved and decorated gym Jessie looked worriedly at me, "Are you sure this will work?"

"I hope so," I half-whispered. "I wish I felt more confident."

The match attendant and Aya appeared followed by a still darkly angry Janine. The attendant raised a fuchsia and white flag, "This is a special Pokémon match for the Soul Badge. In Leader Koga's stead will be his daughter Janine. This will be a four-on-four single elimination match. The opponent is Saffron City Gym leader Sabrina Natsume, her aide will be Jessica Musashi. Janine's aide will be Aya Kunoichi."

Janine stepped forward, "I'll start this. Go Weezing!"

"Go Wobbuffet!" I shouted and winked at Jessie.

"Smokescreen Weezing."

"Safeguard."

"Weezing! Smog attack!"

"Mirror Coat," Weezing groaned, but the poison attack even at two times the initial strength had little effect. I thought quickly as Janine considered her next move.

"Tackle."

"Counter," I countered, this battle was going to last awhile if she kept using low-level attacks.

She couldn't resist playing her trump for long, "Sludge Bomb!"

I had to count on Wobbuffet's defense to survive and he did, "Mirror Coat!" I shouted. Weezing survived the initial blow but became poisoned. Janine looked stricken, "Sludge Bomb," she demanded but Weezing fainted from poison before it could attack again.

Janine glared at me, "Go Venonant."

"Use Safeguard."

Janine said, "Sludge Bomb."

I sighed. Wobby was poisoned. "Return," I said irritably.

"Go Jynx," now I had the speed advantage.

"Sleep Powder," Janine commanded, but Jynx avoided the drifting spores.

"Blizzard," thank goodness Jynx did not miss.

Janine was now in a fury, "Not fair!" she whined.

"Get 'em Golbat!" It wasn't over yet.

"Confuse Ray," she shouted. The ghost attack struck Jynx and she became hopelessly confused.

"Try to use Ice Punch," I advised Jynx but she hurt herself. However she still hadn't taken much damage. I silently said a prayer to the Goddess.

"Hit 'er with Leech Life!" Damn, a bug attack.

"Lovely Kiss," somehow Jynx planted her lips on the swift fluttery bat and it fell asleep on the floor.

"Return Golbat," Janine was about to reveal her ultimate Pokémon. I decided to hold Jynx in reserve with a little less than half of her health intact, "Come back Jynx."

Janine waited for me to tip my hand, but I simply stared back at her almost feeling sorry to be manhandling this plucky girl. She sighed, "Go Ariados." 

I decided to play my ace too, "Go Merlin."

"Night Shade," she said bitterly.

A ghost attack, dear Lord. Merlin was hit hard. "Future Sight," I knew full well this might cause me trouble.

"Night Shade again,' I couldn't keep Merlin out any longer, "Return Merlin," I sighed. "Go Wobbuffet."

Janine glared at me again, "Psychic," she muttered, this didn't do much damage, but the poison was really hurting Wobby.

I sighed again then said, "Destiny Bond." Janine gasped as the poison took Wobbuffet and her spider. "End game," I said tiredly, "Go Merlin."

"Go Golbat," she said woodenly.

In a blue flash Merlin's Future Sight hit and Golbat fainted as Janine wailed over her loss.

Aya brought the Soul Badge to me and smiled thinly, "Funny how it's heart shaped isn't it?"

"Janine," I murmured. "I really am sorry, but I fought you because I love your father and I want to learn how to love you too," but she didn't answer.

A deep voice intruded from the back of the gym, "To gain this family's respect you have to beat it out of us. It's how Lorelei and I came together. I am glad you won our badge dear Sabrina, may I have the pleasure of pinning it at your breast next to that warm, quiet heart of yours?"

I looked up, there stood a pale, but steady Koga, "You shouldn't be up, go back to your sickbed right now."

"Only if my girl and my love support me there," he said turning to Janine. "Come now girl you must admit this woman fights fairly, cleverly and well."

"Yeah," she said through her bitter tears. She extended her quivering hand and I wrapped my arms around her.

"You fought well, you will be a great champion someday my dear. I shall be happy to hand you your Marsh Badge some day soon," I said with my face buried in her curls.

With that we each took one of Koga's arms and guided him back to his room as Jessie and Aya trailed behind us.


End file.
